Slow day
Well, I have been offline for a while, because, wouldn't you know it, just when I have free time and nothing better to do than write, my internet connection at home decides to go on the fritz. It has been a lazy week, but a good one.
My Christmas kicked off the week well. I left the city on Friday (Christmas Eve) and my dad picked me up from the train station, a job usually given to mom. He looked the same, good. I am always amazed at how little my dad seems to change or age over the years. I don't think he recognized me until I was about a foot in front of him, though, so his eyes must have aged a bit at least. I hope that is all for now.
The 24th is the birthday of Suanne's father Norman. I used to see him and his wife Beverly fairly frequently back before I moved to New York, but I never really knew them. I did always like Norman though- he has a fiesty sense of humor and you can tell is just a genuinely warm person. Beverly died about a year and a half ago. He is still pretty torn up, as would be expected after 50 years of marriage. We took him out for a (76th) birthday dinner at Christo's, his favorite restaurant and a regular staple of their family. He is really quite a wonderful guy, and I am glad I got to see that as well as how close he is with Suanne and my dad. In one night I felt as close to him as my own Papa, if not closer since his sense of humor is more along the lines of mine, not the MacGregor clan.
It reminded me of when my maternal grandfather came to my college graduation, only two months after my grandmother had died. Oh, what a weekend that was. Not even a weekend, since he drove us all so crazy in less than 24 hours that my aunt drove him back to New York before the first day was even over! But he was so destroyed over my grandmother and broke down in tears on my living room couch. This was a man who didn't cry. He made others cry - often and with shame, fear, and hatred, but he did not. Of course, he wasn't the same man by then, but I was just coming to see that at the time. Not that Norman was like that - at all - but it just made me think, and be thankful that he had Suanne and my dad so close to keep him company and in good spirits.
Saturday was Christmas, and it was another good day. Great, really. I have to say, that in as much as my mother's side of the family is admittedly dysfunctional, my father's side is practically taken from a Hallmark card. What is ironic is how much I used to idolize my mother's side and turn away from the father's. I have since done a complete 180.
I was somewhat in the spotlight because of my move. Many of these are people who have never been to LA, let alone California or even the west coast. They had all heard about my move, but not any of the details, so I got to deliver the same recorded soundtrack over and over, which is just fine, since I love talking about it and even more so, love having something to talk about with my relatives at all.
There were about 30 people in total. Sandra and Karl, my aunt and uncle, are probably the most cosmopolitan of the group. I love them. I bonded with them a few years ago when they planned a trip to New York, and we got to sit and act like human beings, outside of the MacBlogger farce that is forced on us at Holiday times. Karl inspired me to start a blog, and they have a nice web page more advanced than anything I could do right now.
Their sons - my cousins - are Mike and Adam, who were there with their families, which amount to a small heard of the best looking children that you've never seen on a magazine cover. Mike is married to Lynn, who I have loved since the moment I met her, and they have 6 kids. Yes, six. Adam is married to Jenny, who I really like as well, and they have one daughter, Lily, who is adorable. And I have to state for the record that Mike and Lynn's kids, especially the two oldest boys, are so attractive they should have been modeling from birth. I think I have slightly inappropriate crushes on them - even the girls. Not only are all the kids attractive, they are the best-behaved, most well-mannered kids I have ever met. They all live in one house with an ice skating rink in the back that Mike built, go to church regularly, sing in the choir, play the piano, as well as football and every other sport. Boys as well as girls. Okay, enough about them.
My grandparents, Grammy and Papa, were there as well. They must be closing in on 80 now, if not there already. They are starting to show the signs of aging, but, like my father, hide it well. My Grammy had a back operation a few months ago, and that has slowed her down considerably, but she is still in good spirits. One thing that hasn't slowed down was her consumption of spirits, as she had a full glass in her hand the entire day. Gotta love it. Papa must have a weak sense of smell because he used what smelled like the entire bottle of Old Spice, but I was glad to still have it on my coat when I left.
Barbara and Craig were there, with their two kids, Tim and Matt (my other cousins) who are now grown. Tim is 2 years younger than me and we always got along. Shortly into his first year of college, he was diagnosed as bipolar. He seemed perfectly fine at Christmas, but then of course, it's not something you can just identify and categorize, like chicken pox or a bee sting. Matt, on the other hand, is successful in real estate, lives on his own, summers as a police officer of some sort, and picked up a set of social skills. He actually gave me a huge hug and a smile when I walked in. I was so impressed - and touched.
The rest of the partygoers were from Karl's side of the family. Nice people. Also, Jenny's mom came, who I really liked, and Norman came with us as well. I think that was hard for him, but I'm sure better than being alone.
I spent the rest of the weekend with my mom. We watched TV, drank lots of wine, and played Yahtzee. Watched about a foot of snow come down. I came back to the city on Monday. Did a whole lot of nothing - lots of TV, some shopping, the gym. All of my gym boyfriends seem to be in town. I am so antisocial at the gym though, and don't talk to any of them.
Today I am doing my obligatory day at the office. Effie and Daniela are here, so it is a good group. I do have work to do, but nothing pressing, and therefore I am not doing it. Instead I have posted the LONGEST BLOG EVER and am reading about the tsunami that has devastated Sri Lanka and the entire area surrounding the Indian Ocean. I would rather be doing something to help the efforts than sitting here useless. I remember after September 11th, when Maria and I couldn't stand to sit in front of the TV any longer, we decided to take clothes to the firefighters. I gave away my "letters", and still smile at the thought of some firefighter somewhere wearing a celestial AZD sweatshirt.
My Christmas kicked off the week well. I left the city on Friday (Christmas Eve) and my dad picked me up from the train station, a job usually given to mom. He looked the same, good. I am always amazed at how little my dad seems to change or age over the years. I don't think he recognized me until I was about a foot in front of him, though, so his eyes must have aged a bit at least. I hope that is all for now.
The 24th is the birthday of Suanne's father Norman. I used to see him and his wife Beverly fairly frequently back before I moved to New York, but I never really knew them. I did always like Norman though- he has a fiesty sense of humor and you can tell is just a genuinely warm person. Beverly died about a year and a half ago. He is still pretty torn up, as would be expected after 50 years of marriage. We took him out for a (76th) birthday dinner at Christo's, his favorite restaurant and a regular staple of their family. He is really quite a wonderful guy, and I am glad I got to see that as well as how close he is with Suanne and my dad. In one night I felt as close to him as my own Papa, if not closer since his sense of humor is more along the lines of mine, not the MacGregor clan.
It reminded me of when my maternal grandfather came to my college graduation, only two months after my grandmother had died. Oh, what a weekend that was. Not even a weekend, since he drove us all so crazy in less than 24 hours that my aunt drove him back to New York before the first day was even over! But he was so destroyed over my grandmother and broke down in tears on my living room couch. This was a man who didn't cry. He made others cry - often and with shame, fear, and hatred, but he did not. Of course, he wasn't the same man by then, but I was just coming to see that at the time. Not that Norman was like that - at all - but it just made me think, and be thankful that he had Suanne and my dad so close to keep him company and in good spirits.
Saturday was Christmas, and it was another good day. Great, really. I have to say, that in as much as my mother's side of the family is admittedly dysfunctional, my father's side is practically taken from a Hallmark card. What is ironic is how much I used to idolize my mother's side and turn away from the father's. I have since done a complete 180.
I was somewhat in the spotlight because of my move. Many of these are people who have never been to LA, let alone California or even the west coast. They had all heard about my move, but not any of the details, so I got to deliver the same recorded soundtrack over and over, which is just fine, since I love talking about it and even more so, love having something to talk about with my relatives at all.
There were about 30 people in total. Sandra and Karl, my aunt and uncle, are probably the most cosmopolitan of the group. I love them. I bonded with them a few years ago when they planned a trip to New York, and we got to sit and act like human beings, outside of the MacBlogger farce that is forced on us at Holiday times. Karl inspired me to start a blog, and they have a nice web page more advanced than anything I could do right now.
Their sons - my cousins - are Mike and Adam, who were there with their families, which amount to a small heard of the best looking children that you've never seen on a magazine cover. Mike is married to Lynn, who I have loved since the moment I met her, and they have 6 kids. Yes, six. Adam is married to Jenny, who I really like as well, and they have one daughter, Lily, who is adorable. And I have to state for the record that Mike and Lynn's kids, especially the two oldest boys, are so attractive they should have been modeling from birth. I think I have slightly inappropriate crushes on them - even the girls. Not only are all the kids attractive, they are the best-behaved, most well-mannered kids I have ever met. They all live in one house with an ice skating rink in the back that Mike built, go to church regularly, sing in the choir, play the piano, as well as football and every other sport. Boys as well as girls. Okay, enough about them.
My grandparents, Grammy and Papa, were there as well. They must be closing in on 80 now, if not there already. They are starting to show the signs of aging, but, like my father, hide it well. My Grammy had a back operation a few months ago, and that has slowed her down considerably, but she is still in good spirits. One thing that hasn't slowed down was her consumption of spirits, as she had a full glass in her hand the entire day. Gotta love it. Papa must have a weak sense of smell because he used what smelled like the entire bottle of Old Spice, but I was glad to still have it on my coat when I left.
Barbara and Craig were there, with their two kids, Tim and Matt (my other cousins) who are now grown. Tim is 2 years younger than me and we always got along. Shortly into his first year of college, he was diagnosed as bipolar. He seemed perfectly fine at Christmas, but then of course, it's not something you can just identify and categorize, like chicken pox or a bee sting. Matt, on the other hand, is successful in real estate, lives on his own, summers as a police officer of some sort, and picked up a set of social skills. He actually gave me a huge hug and a smile when I walked in. I was so impressed - and touched.
The rest of the partygoers were from Karl's side of the family. Nice people. Also, Jenny's mom came, who I really liked, and Norman came with us as well. I think that was hard for him, but I'm sure better than being alone.
I spent the rest of the weekend with my mom. We watched TV, drank lots of wine, and played Yahtzee. Watched about a foot of snow come down. I came back to the city on Monday. Did a whole lot of nothing - lots of TV, some shopping, the gym. All of my gym boyfriends seem to be in town. I am so antisocial at the gym though, and don't talk to any of them.
Today I am doing my obligatory day at the office. Effie and Daniela are here, so it is a good group. I do have work to do, but nothing pressing, and therefore I am not doing it. Instead I have posted the LONGEST BLOG EVER and am reading about the tsunami that has devastated Sri Lanka and the entire area surrounding the Indian Ocean. I would rather be doing something to help the efforts than sitting here useless. I remember after September 11th, when Maria and I couldn't stand to sit in front of the TV any longer, we decided to take clothes to the firefighters. I gave away my "letters", and still smile at the thought of some firefighter somewhere wearing a celestial AZD sweatshirt.
Labels: New York
posted by Lori @ 7:25 AM
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